The use of protective helmets in various types of sports or hazardous activities is well known. Protective helmets generally include a number of different accessories such as earpieces, or visor shields or the like, many of which are fastened onto the protective helmet. Common fastening means include screws which threadedly engage nuts. Both the screw and the nut have flanged end portions that abut, respectively, the accessory and the inner surface of the helmet shell.
One of the problems associated with the use of such fastening means arises when tightening or loosening the latter to adjust the accessory. Two hand tools are required to engage each of the screw and nut, respectively, so as to prevent the nut from rotating when the screw is being turned. This is not practical because two hand tools are not always available.
Another disadvantage that relates to helmets which incorporate such fastening means resides in the large number of fastener pieces that must be collected and stored upon removal of an accessory from the protective helmet. The accessory may require a plurality of screws and locking nuts that if lost may result in a situation where the user can no longer attach the accessory.
Thus, there is a need in the industry to provide a protective helmet that comprises an improved fastener mounted to the helmet and capable of receiving a screw-type securing means for retaining accessories to the protective helmet .